Articles to manage body exudates such as urine are well known in the art. In this context, managing body exudates includes acquiring, distributing, and storing body exudates such as urine, menses fecal material, and the like. A wide variety of article has been proposed including diapers, sanitary napkins, adult incontinence articles such as briefs or bed mats, underarm sweat pants, catheters, bottles, bed pans, and the like.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,564 (Lawrence et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,222 (Lawrence et al.) a liquid removal system having an interface device and a vacuum source is described. The interface device has a porous membrane with an entrance zone on one side. The vacuum source maintains a vacuum on the side of the membrane opposite the entrance zone when the membrane is wetted. Liquid which contacts the wetted porous membrane is removed from the interface device by the vacuum source. Whilst this device is capable of acquiring and transporting urine, this liquid removal system comprises a plastic shell which is only capable to conform to minor differences in the physique of a patient. In particular for mobile patients, it is however desirable to provide a liquid removal system which readily adapts to the movements of the patient by being compressible in the longitudinal and/or in the transverse direction.
Hence, it is an object the present invention to overcome the problems posed by the liquid removal systems of the prior art.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a liquid removal system which is compressible in the longitudinal and/or in the transverse direction.